Tag Archives: youth

Get to Know Zaakirah!

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This week, get to know our second season participant Zaakirah.

Name: Zaakirah Muhammad

About me: I love animals, hanging out with my BFF Mani, paint my nails, read and write poems, and I love to make new friends.

Besties - Zaakirah & Armani Rae

What made you join Shred Love? I joined Shred Love to go snowboarding.

How has Shred Love changed your life? Shred Love changed my life because it help me to not be afraid to try new things and I met new friends.

Firsts
First time I started walking, I was 10 months old.
First time I learned how to write my name, I was 1 year old.
First time I got a puppy, I was 6 years old.
First time I went to acting class, I was 10 years old.
First time I learned how to snowboard, I was 9 years old.

Go Snowboarding Day at Mountain Creek

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In the spirit of World Snowboard Day, Mountain Creek declared Monday, December 20th Go Snowboarding Day! Go Snowboarding Day gave hundreds of people the opportunity to become life long riders by taking advantage of Mountain Creek’s learn to ride package: lift tickets, rental equipment, and a 1.5 hour long lesson for FREE! So when Mountain Creek extended an invite to us to attend an evening session, we jumped at the opportunity. It was the perfect night for Shred Love to start off the 2010-2011 season; the conditions at the mountain were perfect, the participants were pumped to get back on their boards, and it was our board member, Mel‘s birthday. Did I mention we had the school yard to ourselves? Yeah, it was pretty sweet!

First time rider Masz

Masz was the only beginner volunteer. Our other volunteers were happy for the refresher and to be back out with the group. He wasn’t the only beginner, so was Nicky.

Nicky

Nicky rocks!

Here are more pictures of everyone, enjoy!

Brandon, Khaliq, & Mel aka Da Ryders

Halimah aka Ms. Black Diamond

Our shred monsters (l-r): Masai, Savion, Halimah, Tyson, & Zaakirah

World Snowboard Day 2010!

Big thanks to Mountain Creek (l-r)!: Hugh, Paul, Liz, & Nathan

Shred Love, Mountain Creek, & World Snowboard Day

Check out all of our pictures at Facebook. Check out Mountain Creek’s video here.

Get to Know Armani Rae!

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Get to know the newest big boss at Shred Love! Armani Rae started off as a participant and is now helping out with recruiting more girls and getting them hooked on snowboarding and photography.

Name: Armani Rae
About me: I’m very active, funny, and pretty. I do gymnastics and love to dance. I love old school music, R&B, hip hop,and pop.
What made you join Shred Love? I always had an inkling for snowboarding.
How has Shred Love changed your life? I met new people and learned how to go down the hill.
Firsts
First time I won a cheerleading competition, I was 10 years old.

Armani Rae & Coach Timeka

First time I got on a plane, I went to Florida.
First song I wrote is titled, “Live,Laugh, Love”.
First dance recital I was in, I was 6 years old.
First cartwheel I did I was 7 years old.

Check back Tuesday, January 4th for our next feature in the Get to Know Us series!

Get to Know Shanelle!

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Get to know Shanelle, our second year teen mentor!
Name: Shanelle Thornberry
About me: I am an 18 year old teen mentor. I enjoy art, music, skateboarding, and snowboarding. I am an inspiring DJ and artist. I aspire to work in the music business or open my own art gallery. I love to travel and make life an adventure.

Halloween 2009

What role do you play at Shred Love? My role at Shred Love is a teen mentor, photographer, and assistant.
Why did you become a part of Shred Love? I became a member of Shred Love because I wanted to be a part of a positive movement, a movement that gave kids, who were once just like me, opportunities that do not come around often.
How has Shred Love changed your life? Shred Love has changed my life because I have learned you could make something so small into something big, have a huge impact, and important.
Firsts
First time I drove, I had my license for 2 weeks.
First time I DJ’ed a party, the speakers blew.
First time I skateboarded, I was 15.
First time I snowboarded, I got a face full of snow.
First time I went away without my family, was my 8th grade class trip to Disney World.

Get to Know Savion!

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Shred Love would like to introduce you to Savion!

Savion Bayo Drayton

Name: Savion Bayo Drayton

About me: I’m a snowboarder, scientist, and a flag football champion!

What made you join Shred Love? The enjoyment of snowboarding.

How has Shred Love changed your life? It showed me the thrills of snowboarding down the mountain.

Tyson, Savion, & DeKarr

Firsts

First time I went snowboarding was with Shred Love.

First pet I had was Lucky the Cat.

First skateboard park I went to is in Flemington, NJ.

First time playing flag football, my team won the championship.

First job was at Jack’s, by my grandmother’s house.

My first camping trip

Chillin with my little brother, Tyson

Check back next Tuesday to see who’s next!

Go Snowboarding Day at Mountain Creek!

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Mountain Creek has invited Shred Love to enjoy an evening of riding and lessons on Go Snowboarding Day! Go Snowboarding Day is Monday, December 20th, as well as our board member/mentor, Mel’s birthday! The evening will consist of an 1 1/2 hour long group lesson, free riding, and a celebration for the “old man”, lol! : )

To be a part of Go Snowboarding Day, please send us an email at  info@shredlove.org/wordpress with “Go Snowboarding Day” as the subject. Please indicate if you will need gear (snow jacket, gloves, and/or snow pants) and rental equipment (boots and snowboard). This event is limited to our participants ages 8-18 and our volunteers/mentors.

Act fast! Registration ends Wednesday, December 1, 2010.

Event Details

Go Snowboarding Day at Mountain Creek (Vernon, NJ)

Monday, December 20, 2010  6:30 – 9pm

Promptly departing Bayonne, NJ at 4pm.

Returning 10:30pm.

Get to Know Tyson!

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We at Shred Love would like to introduce you to our participant Tyson!

Name: Tyson Ellis Drayton

About Tyson: I’m 7  years old. I like to play video games on my Wii and DSI. I eat a lot, draw, ride my bike, and play with my hamster.

What made you join Shred Love? My mom said there was going to be snowboarding.

How has Shred Love changed your life? I met a lot of new people and learned how to do tricks.

Me and my friends - Chaz & Sterling

Firsts

First time I learned how to ride my bike, I was six.

First time I took a swimming lesson, I was 3 years old.

First time I went snowboarding, I was 5 years old.

First pet was my hermit crabs.

First time I played flag football, I scored 2 touch downs!

Check back next Tuesday to see who’s next! = )

Get to Know Mel

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Name:  Mel Demetrius Young, but known by a host of nicknames including Demetrius tha Poet & Young Smellz (thanks Jerrie).

 

About me:  I’m the proud father of a son (Marcel, 18) and daughter (Jackie, 13 going on 30).  I earn my living as a Vice President – Project Manager and Business Analyst. However anyone who knows me knows that my occupation is that of a Poet/ Spoken Word Artist (just gotta find a way to earn a living off it – lol). I was born in Trenton, NJ and was educated at a Girard College. I served in the US Air Force Reserves during the Gulf War.  My hobbies and interests include fishing, snowboarding, art (specifically graffiti) and writing.

Jackie, Marcel, & I tubing at Blue Mountain

 

What role do you play at Shred Love? As a VP and Board Member, I help vet out business, financial and program decisions. In addition, I chaperoned a group of participants on the mountain. Also, I usually have a hand in any graphic design work associated with the organization, including the design of the Logo.

 

Why did you become a part of Shred Love? When Liz conceived the idea of developing the organization and its mission, I was “all in”. I grew up in one of Trenton, NJ’s worst neighborhoods, Wilbur Section, and have personally benefited from organizations such as the YMCA, Big Brothers / Big Sisters, and Girard College. Without those organizations, I would not be where I am today.  I see Shred Love as being a vital organization to help develop our youth.  It also provides a way for me to give back, after all, so much was given to me.

Firsts

First time I strapped on a snowboard, I was 40 years old.

First trip into the half pipe did not go so well.  I fell about 10 times.

First time I made it down the mountain without falling; I was stoked for a week!!!

First snowboard was purchased on the way home from my very first snowboard outing (I was immediately hooked).

My First Time

Check back next Tuesday, to see who’s next!

Get to Know Us

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Have we met?

No? Well its time we do! Over the next couple of weeks, we will do a “Get to Know Us” feature on the people behind Shred Love. To get the ball rolling, I decided to start with myself, so here goes!

Name: Elizabeth Royster but everyone calls me Liz

About me: I’m the proud mommy of Shanelle, Savion & Tyson. By day, I’m a Senior Quality Assurance Test Analyst aka a software tester, however I’m Shred Love 24/7, ask anyone! = )  I grew up in a pink house in Jersey City with my family – Mom & Dad, my brother Omar, and sisters: Poodie & Jerrie. Wait there’s more, it was a big pink house and a lot of family lived with us, so there were my godbrothers: Lamar, Tykwan, Brandon, and Andre, their mothers Bonnie and Alycia, and all of our pets: dogs, cats, birds, fish, newts, hamsters, guinea pigs, snakes, a rooster… ok too many to remember, lol! As an adult, I only have a few pets: fish, a dog named Pebbles, and a turtle named Slim Thug. People find my laugh and sneeze pretty memorable, lol! I love music, art (I can draw and paint), traveling, knitting, swimming (still learning), reading, and of course snowboarding. 

My daughter Shanelle

My son Savion

My youngest son Tyson

 

What role do you play at Shred Love? I’m the Founder and Executive Director of Shred Love. I should probably list more titles because of all of the work and dedication it takes to make Shred Love a success but I will stop there, no need to make this a 5 page post, lol!

My birthday at Ten East!

Why did you become a part of Shred Love? I became a part of Shred Love because its easy to sit back and point out what’s wrong with the world but its a lot more rewarding to actually change the world.

My "little" sis, Monique & I (Little from Big Brother Big Sister organization)

My "little" sis Monique & I (Little from Big Brothers Big Sisters)

How has Shred Love changed your life? Shred Love has given me the opportunity to give back what so many have given me – a chance. I firmly believe I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help and guidance of so many others. At times, I think people put too little value on how a small act of kindness can impact a person’s life. As a teen mother, so many people thought I would fail, almost as if my fate had been sealed. If it wasn’t for the support of a few teachers, friends, and family members, I’m pretty sure life for me would be completely different. Therefore, I feel its only right, that I show others that despite how hard or bad things may seem right now, it can always be better. We are all living proof. One way or another we’ve all had to overcome some obstacles in life and for as long as we live, there will be more. By helping others through those times, we prepare ourselves for the same.

Shred Love has also forced me to set higher goals and become more creative in finding solutions to my problems and that of Shred Love. Our first year panned out to be better than I had ever expected, which to me meant I needed to dream bigger. With all of the success we’ve had so far, I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.

Shred Love

Firsts

First time I had ever seen a snowboard, I was 14 years old.

First time I went snowboarding, I was 30 years old and was sore for 3 days.

First trick I landed was a butter.

First day of Shred Love’s learn to ride program in 2010, was the First time I cried on a mountain. = )

Check back next Tuesday to see who’s next!

-Liz

An Epic Night for An Epic Cause

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Our dinner at Soul Flavors on Wednesday, October 20th was a success! The sold event raised money for our 2011 programs and operations, enabling us to serve more youth. The packed house was filled with participants (new and returning) and their parents, volunteers, mentors, teen mentors, and supporters of Shred Love. So let’s start with our raffle winners:

Netta & our first winner, Monica

 

Mrs. Fowlkes with her winnings!

The only guy to win, Rob (he's also one of our new mentors!)

Dr. Coleman won a gift card to Soul Flavors

And since all of our young attendees walked away with gift bags, I’ll waste no time in sharing more pictures from the evening.

Our volunteer Darlene and her son, Adam... yeah he's a rider!

Our future Betties: Natalie & Monique

Our guests

 

Assemblyman Charles Mainor & our Founder, Liz

To see all of the pictures from the evening, check out our Facebook page and if you aren’t already a friend, don’t forget to send a friend request. ; ) 

Special thanks goes out to all of our guests, SOS Outreach, The Hidden Valley Club, Windham Mountain, Soul Flavors, Snowboard Addiction, Assemblyman Charles Mainor, The Jersey Journal, Bayonne Community News, Youngsworld, LLC, and Darlene Sarr. 

'Til next time!